Temple University Athletics
RHODE ISLAND DOWNS TEMPLE, 3-1, TO CAPTURE A-10 MEN'S SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP
11.16.03 | Men's Soccer
"This has been a story book season for Temple so hopefully there is one more chapter left," said Temple head coach David MacWilliams. "Clearly the Atlantic 10 is deserving of more than one team in the NCAA Tournament. We now just have to hope that the committee looks kindly on all that we have accomplished this season."
The Owls opened the scoring in the 14th minute as freshman Ryan Heins picked up his first collegiate goal. The Temple midfielder served the ball into the box off a corner and it curved into a URI defender and into the net.
Rhode Island answered quickly after as Sasha Gotsmanov drilled a direct kick from just outside the box past a diving Patrick Hannigan in the 18th minute. The Owls appeared to have taken the lead as Tony Donatelli took a shot from the 40-yard line that Ram keeper Dean Ruddy (six saves) blocked. The rebound went right to the foot of Nate Webb who blasted it into the back of the net in the 33rd minute. However, the near-side linesman called the initial shot offsides to the dismay of MacWilliams and his team.
Temple seemed to have the better of it on the offensive end in the second half, possessing the ball and pressuring URI for the first 30 minutes of the frame. Then, in the 77th minute, Mohamed Keita, who had just checked into the contest, drilled a loose ball from 25 yards out into the lower right corner for the game-winning goal. Tournament MVP Perek Belleh then added an insurance goal in the 81st minute to seal the win.
It was just the third time all season that Temple had allowed more than two goals in a contest. Two of those games came at the hands of URI, which defeated the Owls, 3-2, in Kingston on Nov. 2. For Hannigan, the A-10 Defensive Player of the Year, it was just his second time allowing more than one goal in a game, both against the Rams. The junior keeper from Philadelphia (Frankford) finished the game with six saves.
The Owls placed three players, Webb, Donatelli and senior midfielder Matt Moran, on the all-tournament team.
